A brand, a day: today with the Humble brush

Yesterday I wanted to buy a new toothbrush. It’s a simple purchase that I do every two to three months and for which I usually don’t spend much time. A quick glance at the price, the hardness of bristles and the colour of the handle to avoid confusing it with that of my husband, are generally enough for me to buy one.

However, for some time now, I have been trying to live by my values and to reconsider all my gestures, including the simplest ones, in a soul of active kindness towards all living beings, humans and animals, and nature as well.

This may seem abstract said like this, but it is not, especially when it comes to shopping. I take a real pleasure in consciously choosing products for my everyday life that match my values and it’s always a great joy for me to find them out.

So yesterday, rather than buying my toothbrush in a supermarket and having to choose between products of a giant pharmaceutical company and those of a major retailer, I decided to go to an organic store. I know that organic labels are not vegan and if they guarantee a certain respect for people and the environment, they are rarely synonymous with respect for animals. Indeed, I found toothbrushes made from wild boar and badger bristles.

But by exploring the shelves more thoroughly, I found a toothbrush from the brand Humble brush Co, a Swedish brand, vegan certified, with a simple and functional design as only the Scandinavian can do. The handle of the brush is made from bamboo, 100% biodegradable. Bristles are made from nylon-6, which is not ideal for the environment, but which degrades faster than lower grades of nylon and can be processed through regular waste channels.

I also like the comment on their website saying that there is no alternative plant-based material so far that would allow an effective brushing over a period of several months. It means that they have seen the point and when a substitute will be available, they will use it. I also appreciate that the packaging is made of recyclable paper itself made from recycled products.

Credit: Humble Smile Foundation. Gondar, Ethiopia.

The simple fact of dropping a plastic handle for a bamboo handle is already incredibly beneficial for the environment. On its website, Humble Brush Co reminds us that there are 3.6 billion plastic brushes which land up every year in landfills and oceans.

And the story of Humble Brush Co doesn’t stop here. The company also runs a foundation, the Humble Smile Foundation, which commits to offer to a child who needs a free dental care or a toothbrush for every toothbrush sold.

This morning, while I was washing my teeth, I smiled thinking that somewhere on the other side of the planet a child was washing his teeth too.